Boomers Sympathetic to Brian Williams' Chopper Whopper

I think baby boomers may be inclined to cut NBC News anchor Brian Williams some slack.

Why?

Because we are all too aware of how unreliable memory can be.

When it comes to a suspect memory it is not "been there, done that" for boomers. It is more like "being here, doing that."

Now, I'm not saying Williams should get a pass for the chopper whopper he has been embellishing since 2003. And he may have some credibility problems elsewhere as well. We're not just talking about a random slip of the mind here.

I mean, if I were riding in a helicopter that was hit by a rocket propelled grenade I'd remember every detail, including how many times I had to change my underwear.

Williams' self-inflating memory transgression is more along the lines of: "the older I get the better I was."

Former athletes are particularly susceptible to this kind of selective recall. This is why I never go to reunions. You run into too many people who don't seem to remember how terrific you were. (Hold on there, Ed, are you saying I was never even on the football team?)

Scientists say that once you ingrain a false memory you can come to believe it is true. This might explain Williams' account, although other claims by Williams over the years indicate this isn't the first time he has seen himself as a legend in his own mind.

You can have both good and bad false memories. (Wow, doc, amazing breakthrough. All these years I felt guilty because I thought I "shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die.")

As you reel in the years you spend more time worrying about your memory. Fortunately, memory being what it is, you often forget you are worried about it.

Baby boomers tend to fret and focus on short term, mundane memory lapses. What is her name? Why did I come into this room? Where did I leave the car keys?

Most of these little annoyances are quite natural and nothing to get too upset about. As the experts point out, not being able to find the car keys is not a big deal unless the reason you can't locate them is because you don't actually own a car.

So, helpful piece of advice here: Before spending a lot of time looking for lost keys, first check the garage for a car.